Paradise
by Kicon
Summary: Ariel is pregnant, Willard's mama is sick, there's a new stranger in town, Rusty's getting restless, Ren gets the surprise of a lifetime, and Chuck is out for revenge. Ever wondered what happened after they decided to cut footloose?
1. Secrets

**Paradise**

Ariel is pregnant, Willard's mama is sick, there's a new stranger in town, Rusty's getting restless, Ren gets the surprise of a lifetime, and Chuck is out for revenge. Ever wondered what happened after they all decided to cut footloose?

* * *

_Chapter One - Secrets_

"Ariel! Would you hurry up in there?" Rusty shouted.

She was standing outside the bathroom in the Moore home. It was past eight o'clock, and just that afternoon they'd graduated from high school. Rusty could practically taste the freedom. Now they were late for the graduation dance they'd thrown together to be held at the grain mill.

"I know it doesn't take you that long to wash your hands!" she called, having heard the toilet flush at least ten minutes ago.

"Just a minute!" Ariel replied, her voice sounding muffled through the door.

She was leaning over the bathroom counter, staring at her hands. Or, rather, at what was in her hands. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible. Except she knew it wasn't. It was very much so possible, and that was what made her feel sick to her stomach.

Rusty sighed with frustration. Ren and Willard had dropped them off at Ariel's place so they could change. Then they were going to hitch a ride with Urleen, Wendy Jo, and the other girls, but they'd gotten so bored waiting that they'd already left.

"That's it, I'm coming in!" she declared, jiggling the bathroom door handle and barging in.

Ariel stood up quickly and tried to hide the object behind her back, but Rusty had seen it already. She blushed, realizing her mistake in rashly barging in. But she couldn't pretend not to have seen it.

"Ariel?" she asked quietly. "Is that what I think it was?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's a...pregnancy test."

"Let me see it."

Ariel shook her head, tears burning in her eyes. Rusty went over to her friend and gently pulled her arms out from behind her and pried her hands off of the white stick. She looked at the two vertical lines, indicating that she was, indeed, pregnant.

The silence was suffocating and Ariel couldn't stand it any longer. "Rus - "

"Well this is great!" Rusty exclaimed in an attempt to prevent her best friend from wallowing in despair.

Ariel looked confused. "Wha - "

"Now we'll have a mini-Ariel or mini-Ren running around here!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Rusty ignored her. "It's been a while since Bomont's had some little ones."

"No, you - "

"Your guys' baby will be the first of the new generation!"

"But - "

"You know, I don't think Travis and Urleen are that far behind you two, if you catch my drift."

"_Rusty -_ "

"Hey now." Rusty put her hands on her hips and mock glared at her. "You didn't even tell me that you two jumped in the sack."

"We - "

"You know, as your best friend, you're obligated to tell - "

"_Ren and I haven't had sex!_" she shouted, then clapped a hand over her mouth, fearing that her parents might have heard her.

Rusty's expression morphed into one of absolute shock. She dropped the pregnancy test so quickly one would think it had burned her.

"But that means..."

"The father isn't Ren," Ariel said quietly, turning away from Rusty. Her hands gripped the edge of the countertop and she squeezed her eyes shut. "It's Chuck."

_~ everybodycutfootloose ~_

Ren felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, so he excused himself from the dance floor and went outside. The caller ID was Rusty.

"Hey Rusty," he greeted. "Where are you two?"

"Hiya Ren. I'm sorry, but we can't make it. Ariel came down with a really bad flu."

Ren frowned. She hadn't been displaying any sick signs earlier. "Okay, well, do you want me to come by?"

"No, she doesn't want you to get sick too. Mrs. Moore is making her some soup and I'm just going to sleep over since I might have it too."

"Alright. Tell her I wish her well," he said.

"I will. And Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Willard I'm sorry and that I love him."

Ren chuckled. "I will."

"Thanks Ren. Bye."

"Bye."

Ren hung up and was sliding his phone back into his pocket when he turned around to see Willard walking over.

"Was that Ariel?" he asked.

He shook his head. "Rusty. Ariel came down with the flu, so she's going to sleep over there tonight."

Willard nodded slowly.

"Oh, and she said that she's sorry and that she loves you."

Ren cracked a grin as Willard blushed and tried to hide his smile. Then Ren stopped smiling and gave his friend a serious look.

"Have you told her about your mama yet?"

Willard shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "No."

"Willard, you have to tell her!"

"I know that!" he exclaimed. "It's just that it's never the right time to tell her. What am I supposed to say? 'Hey Rusty, want to go bowling? Oh, and by the way, my mom is dying of leukemia.' I don't think so."

Ren sighed. "Willard, I know it's hard, but there's never going to be a right time. Tell her when it's just the two of you. Take her out somewhere and tell her."

Willard nodded and they fell silent again. The music from the mill was so loud they could hear it from outside.

"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like going back without the girls," Ren said.

"I agree."

"Want to get out of here?"

Willard grinned crookedly. "Now Ren, don't think that just cause the girls aren't here that I'm gonna sleep with you."

Ren punched Willard in the arm and they started laughing.

"Let's get some burgers," Ren said, and they walked out to Willard's truck.

_~ everybodycutfootloose ~_

Rusty was lying on Ariel's bed, staring at the ceiling. It was midnight, and she couldn't sleep. She turned over on her side and looked at her friend's back.

"Ariel?" she whispered. "Are you awake?"

There was silence, and Rusty was about to turn back around when she heard, "Yes."

Ariel turned to face her friend, who was looking at her with concern.

"You have to tell Ren," Rusty said.

"I know."

"By the end of the week, or else I will."

Ariel glared. "You wouldn't dare."

"Yes, I would!" Rusty hissed. "Listen, if you don't tell and somebody figures it out first, he's going to know it's not his baby. And the only other person you were with was Chuck, and if he finds out you're having his baby..."

"All hell is going to break loose."

"Amen, sister."

Ariel rolled on to her back and looked out the window of her room. The stars dotted the dark blue sky. She prayed that if Bobby was watching over her that he wasn't disappointed.

"Have you and Willard...you know?"

Rusty shook her head. "We want to wait," she mumbled around a yawn.

"Ren and I do too," she said. "Chuck and I were only together for the sex. And I was fine with that, back then. He was just another way I could rebel against my father. But Ren..." She smiled to herself. "Ren is more than that. I want our first time together to be special."

Ariel put her hands on her stomach and sighed. She could tell Ren. He would understand and would be there for her no matter what. And she knew she had Rusty and Willard's support as well. As for the rest of the town...well, the scandal of the preacher's eighteen year old daughter having the baby of a high school drop out out of wedlock might be bigger than Ren taking on the council to repeal the public dancing law.

And who was she to be having a baby at eighteen? All her dreams of the future, all the adventures she and Rusty'd had planned since they were kids, were all gone now. She would be a mother in nine months, and no doubt Ren would stay with her and provide for her and the baby that wasn't his. His future would be ruined as well.

"Rusty, I'm scared," she whimpered, but she could tell by the girl's even breathing and still form that she was already asleep.

* * *

So, my local theatre recently put on the musical _Footloose_ and it inspired me to write a what happened next story. This won't be very long (around twelve chapters or so) but it will be jam packed with intensity and drama.

I also decided to set it in present time, not in the 80's. So there will be cell phones, as you saw already, and probably some modern slang.

Please tell me your thoughts!

~Ki


	2. Welcome to Bomont

**Paradise**

* * *

_Chapter Two - Welcome to Bomont_

"And then he just got down on one knee and proposed!" Urleen exclaimed. "Right there in front of my parents!"

Everybody laughed and clapped appreciatively. The girls were admiring Urleen's engagement ring and the guys were teasing Travis about being whipped. They were all hanging out at the Burger Blast, listening to Urleen recount exactly how Travis proposed to her yesterday.

"When's the wedding going to be?" Abigail asked.

"We want a long engagement, so probably in about three years," Urleen replied.

"What are y'all going to do in the mean time?" Bickle asked.

"Well, Leena and I both got into GeorgiaState, so we'll be going there in the fall," Travis said, answering his friend.

"But Atlanta's so far away," Jezebel complained.

Urleen placed her hands over Jezebel's, the engagement ring sparkling for all to see. "We'll visit, don't worry! Besides, we still have the summer!"

Urleen turned to Ren and giggled. "I think this might even make the town forget about your little scandal earlier this year."

The gang all laughed at that, except Rusty. She was leaning against Willard, who had his arm around her, and was casually looking at her nails.

"Oh, I don't know, Urleen," she said nonchalantly. "You never know what secret, scandalous things people are hiding."

She pointedly looked at Ariel, who glared fiercely at her. It had been a week since Rusty found out about Ariel's pregnancy, and Ariel still hadn't told Ren.

"Have you two heard anything from Chuck?" Rusty asked Travis and Lyle.

The former friends of Chuck shook their heads.

"He doesn't come into town much," Travis said.

"He mostly spends his time at the old water tower," added Lyle.

Urleen folded her arms. "Well good riddance."

"You two tell us your plans for next year," Ariel said to Rusty and Willard.

"Willard and I decided to take a gap year between now and college," Rusty replied.

"You two gonna travel?" Lyle asked.

"Ye - "

"We haven't talked about it," Willard said. "But I like it just fine here in Bomont."

"Are you saying you never want to leave?" Rusty asked, sitting up and looking sharply at him.

"Why would I?" he replied. "I've got everything I need right here: a roof over my head, my mama, and you."

Rusty smiled tightly and then settled down against Willard's chest again. She felt disturbed. Why was Willard lying? They'd talked about traveling, about seeing the sights around the country, and then going to college together.

The awkward silence that followed the obvious tension between Rusty and Willard was interrupted by the sound of an obnoxiously loud motorcycle. And that was strange, because nobody in Bomont rode a motorcycle. The motorcycle and its mysterious rider parked in front of the Burger Blast. Then the rider dismounted and took off his helmet, and walked into the Burger Blast.

"Darlin', don't look now," Wendy Jo started to Urleen, "but I think a bigger scandal than your engagement just walked in the door."

Urleen pouted and folded her arms. Travis kissed her cheek and put his arm around her.

"Well hello there tall, dark, and handsome," Jezebel murmured, eyes fixed on the stranger. That caused everybody to laugh. She jabbed Ren's arm. "Invite him to sit with us!"

"What?" he asked, only to receive another jab with her fingers.

The stranger was by himself at a table and everybody in the restaurant was staring at him, but he didn't seem to mind, or even notice. Betty Blast took his order and then rolled off on her skates. Jezebel jabbed him even harder, so he excused himself from their table to go talk to the stranger.

"Hello," Ren said. The stranger looked at him and smiled. "I'm Ren McCormack, and you are?"

"Tony Ackerman," he replied, shaking Ren's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Tony. You new in town?"

"You could say that."

Ren smiled. "Well, coming from someone who was new a few months ago, it's kind of tough to start in a town where everybody has known each other since birth. Why don't you come and sit with me and my friends?"

"I'd like that," Tony said.

Jezebel let out a squeak when she saw that they were coming over. She ordered Ariel to scoot hers and Ren's chairs over. Ariel and Rusty exchanged eye rolls over Jezebel's constant need to flirt.

"Hey guys, meet Tony Ackerman," Ren said.

Everybody waved and greeted him politely.

"Tony, this is Ariel Moore, Jezebel Miller, Jeter Rhea, Abigail Holbrook, Travis Gage, Urleen Taylor - "

"Soon to be Gage," Urleen interrupted, flashing her engagement ring.

Tony nodded and smiled. "Congratulations."

" - Rusty Irving, Willard Hewitt, Poppy Blackwell, Bickle Ludder, Wendy Jo Lewis, Lyle Kirkpatrick, Garvin Bailey, and Shasta Steiner."

"Nice to meet you all," Tony said.

"Nice to meet _you_," Jezebel replied with a giggle.

Ren pulled a chair from another table and placed it in the spot where Jezebel had made room. She was overjoyed. Ren sat back next to Ariel and took her hand.

"So, Tony, do you have any family here?" Shasta asked.

"Nope."

"Any connection to this town at all?" Jeter asked.

"None."

Everybody exchanged glances.

"Then why in the world would you come to middle of nowhere Bomont, Georgia?" Rusty asked.

"To meet local pretty girls like you," Tony replied with a wink.

Rusty blushed and looked away, leaning against Willard. His arm tightened around his girlfriend as he narrowed his eyes at Tony.

"Pretty _taken_ girls too?" Willard asked with hostility.

Tony held his hands up. "Sorry man, didn't realize."

Willard grunted and stared at the tabletop. Betty came by and gave them all their burgers.

Poppy cleared her throat. "So, why _are_ you here?"

"I've been traveling the country," Tony explained. "I was born in New York and I graduated from high school last year. College right after high school wasn't really the thing for me, so I convinced my parents to let me travel. And now I've been to almost every continental US state."

"That doesn't explain why you came to Bomont of all places," Jeter said.

Tony shrugged. "I find that small towns have the most interesting stories. Big cities are just a mesh of people who pass by each other every day without ever knowing the other person. Small towns are much more intimate."

"Have you been to big cities?" Rusty asked.

He nodded. "Oh yeah. I'm not saying they're not fun, don't get me wrong. I've been all over the place. Los Angeles, Dallas, New York City, Nashville, Las Vegas..."

Rusty sat up and listened intently, her eyes sparkling with interest as he listed off the places that she'd only dreamed about.

"And you go all those places on that motorcycle?" Garvin asked.

"Yep."

"That sounds so thrilling," Rusty said.

Tony nodded. "Nothing but me and the wide open road. I'm free to go wherever I want, and nobody has any say in it."

Rusty's eyes grew distant as she imagined what it was like to have no rules other than the ones you set for yourself. Shasta glanced at her phone and saw the time.

"Half an hour till curfew, guys," she said.

"Curfew?" Tony asked.

"It's midnight for everybody over twenty-one," Jeter explained. "But for us it's eleven on weekends and during vacation, and nine on school nights."

"Which we don't have to worry about anymore," Abigail pointed out.

"You guys just out of high school?" Tony asked.

Poppy nodded. "Graduated just last week."

"Well, welcome to the world," Tony said with a grin.

"Welcome to Bomont," Ariel replied with a grimace.

Everybody laughed as they finished their food and made their way out to the parking lot. Urleen, Travis, Lyle, Poppy, and Shasta left in Travis' truck.

"C'mon Rusty," Ariel said.

"Willard's going to take me home," Rusty said. "You go with Ren."

"Does everyone else have a ride?" Willard asked.

"I'm taking Leena, Lyle, Poppy, and Shasta," Travis replied.

"Abigail and Jezebel are coming with me," Wendy Jo said.

"And I'm going with Jeter and Garvin," Bickle answered.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Jezebel asked Tony, batting her eyelashes.

Tony laughed. "Yes, I'm staying at the Mapleberry Lodge."

"What ever you do, don't eat their lasagna," Abigail told him.

He looked wary. "Why?"

"You don't want to know."

They all laughed and Tony wasn't sure whether they were joking with him or not. He waved goodbye and went to his motorcycle, sticking his helmet on his head and taking off down the road.

"It must be so much fun to ride a motorcycle," Rusty sighed.

"Fun until you crash and die," Willard replied. "Let's go."

The group split up and went to their respective trucks and cars. Ren began walking when Ariel caught his wrist.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said.

"Right now?" he asked.

"Yes, can you come with me?"

"I - "

Ariel dragged him back into the Burger Blast and into the girls' restroom.

"Ariel, I can't be in here," Ren said in a panic. "If Betty finds me in here she could fire me."

"I have to talk to you," she said.

"We could have talked in the car," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "I would've chickened out. But I have to do it now."

"Is it serious?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Are you in trouble?"

She shrugged.

He gripped her shoulders. "Ariel, I'm here for you. Whatever it is, I'm here."

Tears sprang into her eyes and she turned away from him.

"There's something I didn't tell you about the night Chuck beat me up."

"What?"

She swallowed. "He...he raped me."

Ren's body went cold, and then hot with fury. He balled his hands into fists and punched the wall, making Ariel jump with surprise.

"I'll kill him," he growled. "I'll find him and rip him to shreds!"

"Ren, no," she protested, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked, turning and taking her hands in his.

She shrugged. "I didn't want to admit it."

"So what changed?"

A tear rolled down her cheek and Ren gently wiped it away. She pulled her hands out of his and placed them over her stomach in a maternal way. His eyes widened as he filled in the blanks.

"You're _pregnant?!_" he yelled.

She put a hand over his mouth. "Not so loud! What if Betty hears you?"

"You're pregnant," he said slowly, "with Chuck's baby?"

She nodded tearfully. He took her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He kissed the top of her head.

"We'll get through this together," he said. "I'm here for you, I - "

He pulled away from her.

"I'll marry you," he said. "We'll get married and tell everybody that it's my baby. Chuck will never have to know."

"No, Ren," she protested. "What about college? Life beyond Bomont?"

"We could still leave," he said.

"I can't go to college with a baby!" she exclaimed. "And I'm going to need my parents' help to raise this baby."

"I'm still going to marry you."

"No, you're not," she said. "I don't want to ruin your life."

He kissed her softly. "You _are_ my life."

She nodded. "I don't want to steal Urleen's engagement thunder."

Ren laughed. "I can't believe _that_ is what you're worried about."

"I can't believe you're _not_ worried about Urleen's wrath," she said.

"We don't have to get married right away," he replied. "We can tell your parents first. Who else knows?"

"Just Rusty," she answered.

"Then we'll tell your parents tomorrow," Ren said.

They hugged each other and she buried her face in his shoulder, wishing that the rest of the world would disappear and leave them be.

"Don't worry," he whispered.

She laughed a little, because she knew that was all she was going to be doing for the next nine months.

_~ everybodycutfootloose ~_

"One sec, I left my sweater inside," Wendy Jo said to Abigail and Jezebel.

She shut the door to her car and went back inside the Burger Blast. She spied her pink sweater discarded on the back of the chair she'd been sitting in. She picked it up and turned to leave.

"You're _pregnant?!_"

Wendy Jo froze when she heard Ren's voice coming from the women's restroom. She crept over and pressed her ear against the door. He'd lowered his voice, which made it harder to hear through the door, but she could still pick out a few words.

"...here for you...marry you...get married...my baby..."

"No, Ren..."

She staggered away from the door. It was Ren and Ariel, no doubt about it. And they were going to get married and have a baby!

She ran back out to her car, slamming her door.

"What took you so long?" Abigail asked.

"Ariel's pregnant!" she yelled.

"_What?!_" Abigail and Jezebel exclaimed.

Wendy Jo nodded. "Ren and Ariel are going to have a baby and he's going to marry her!"

"Does anybody else know?" Abigail asked.

"I don't think so."

"Well, we can't tell anybody. It's their business and - oh no!"

"What?" Wendy Jo asked.

She pointed to the back seat at Jezebel. "You told Jezebel!"

"Hey!" Jezebel said indignantly. "What's the matter with that?"

Wendy Jo twisted around in her seat to look at her. "Oh please, everybody knows that you and your mama are the two biggest gossips in town."

"We are not!"

"Jezzie, you can't tell anybody," Abigail said. "_Especially_ not your mama."

"My mama - "

"Jezebel!" Wendy Jo exclaimed. "This is between Ren and Ariel. So be a good friend and keep your mouth shut for once, alright?"

Jezebel folded her arms and pouted. "I wasn't going to tell anybody anyway."

"Good."

Wendy Jo started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. The car ride was silent as she dropped Abigail and Jezebel off at their homes before going home herself.

Jezebel muttered angrily to herself as she walked up the steps of her porch to her front door. She and her mama weren't gossips! It's just that she always told her mama everything; they had an open, honest relationship, and what could be wrong with that?

She fished her key out of her purse and stepped inside her house.

"Hey baby, did you have fun with your friends?" Mrs. Miller asked.

"Yes Mama," she replied.

She hesitated for a moment, thinking about what her friends said. But really they had no right to say those awful things about her and her mama, and she would prove them wrong.

"Mama," she started, "you won't be_lieve_ what I found out."

* * *

I think Urleen and Jezebel are my favorite characters to write. Aren't her and Travis cute?! And what do you think of Jezebel? And Tony?

Oh, and I invented Jezebel, Tony, Abigail, Poppy, and Shasta. And I came up with the last names for Bickle, Jeter, Garvin, Travis, Lyle, Wendy Jo, Urleen, and Rusty.

Please review!

~Kicon


End file.
